The Island Eye News November 17 issue

Referendum fails; two incumbents fall

Isle of Palms voters say no to caps on short-term rental licenses

By Brian Sherman For The Island Eye News

Following a contentious campaign, fought passionately in the press, through the mail, on social media platforms and at virtually every City Council meeting for the better part of a year, Isle of Palms residents rejected a referendum that would have capped at 1,600 the number of investor shortterm rental licenses on the island.

member Scott Pierce, finished first and second in the Nov. 7 election, while a pair of sitting Council members who were against immediate restrictions on STRs, Rusty Streetman and Kevin Popson, went down to defeat.

“I’m positive we’ll continue to discuss it. I hope we will take some time and not try to rush right into writing an ordinance.”

• Ashley Carroll

The victory for those who opposed restrictions on STRs was somewhat muted, however: Two candidates who supported the proposed cap, Elizabeth Campsen and incumbent Council

Political newcomer Ashley Carroll finished third among eight candidates, while longtime Council member Jimmy Ward retained his seat with a fourth-place finish. In the watershed commissioner’s race, Jeffery Forslund defeated Doug Hatler, 1,163 to 877.

The votes have been counted and the referendum has been defeated – by a 1,393 to 1,163 margin – but it appears that the issue of short-

Sullivan’s Island Police Department hopes to make holiday season brighter for area kids

By Brian Sherman For The Island Eye News

Toys for Tots was established by the Marine Corps Reserve to provide “a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas,” and, since 1947, it has distributed 652 million toys to 291 million kids.

For the past three years, the Sullivan’s Island Police Department has done more than its share to support the program, collecting new bicycles and helmets for area youngsters who otherwise would probably have a lessthan-happy holiday season. After collecting 220 bikes in 2021 and another 262 in 2022, the goal this year is 300, according to Deputy Chief of Police Glenn Meadows, who got the town involved in Toys for Tots shortly after he was hired by the Police Department in 2021. This year’s campaign kicked off Nov. 1.

“My wife actually brought the idea to me as a community relations event for the Department to run,” said Meadows. “She’s from Wilmington, North Carolina, and a restaurant owner there has run a big bike donation event

term rentals will still be on the table when the new Council convenes in January.

“I’m positive we’ll continue to discuss it. I hope we will take some time and not try to rush right into writing an ordinance,” Carroll commented. “We need time to look at the data. I’m super curious to see how many people renew their licenses. We need to look at the data to see where our market is trending.”

Pierce agreed that short-term rentals will continue to be an important subject on IOP.

“As the two top vote-getters in this election were candidates that openly and fully supported a cap on short-term rental licenses, I believe that residents want the Council to continue to work on a solution that limits STRs,” he said. “The expectation seems to (Continued on page 6)

every year. I thought it would be a great thing for us to try.”

Meadows said donations of bikes and helmets come from area residents, businesses and churches and from people who live off the island and in other states as well.

An islander who wishes to remain anonymous pays for 100 new bicycles every year.

Some people drop bikes off at Town Hall, while others arrange to ship them there. Representatives of the Police Department also will meet (Continued on page 2)

Connector Run checks presented

By Robbie Berg

For The Island Eye News

October is always a highlight month for Isle of Palms, Mount Pleasant and the IOP Exchange Club, the hard work of volunteers and the dedication of runners culminating in awarding the proceeds from the IOP Connector Run to area child abuse prevention agencies on Oct. 26.

This year was no exception. More than $112,000 was raised through our generous sponsors and registration fees from the 950+ runners. A total of $100,000 was distributed to local agencies, a new record in the 31-year history of the race. The city of Isle of Palms gave its $10,000 (Continued on page 4)

PUBLISHERS OF:

The Island Eye News

The Island Connection SiP Magazine • “Where To” Map

Brian Sherman • Editor ieneditor@luckydognews.com

Laura Anderson • Web Editor

Jeff Lovins • Sales Manager jeff@luckydognews.com 843-885-8662

Lynn Pierotti • Consultant lynn@luckydognews.com

Christian LeBlanc • Social Media christian@luckydognews.com

CONTRIBUTORS:

Robbie Berg

Katherine Berry Kelsey Marsh Mary Pringle

PUBLISHED BY

Lucky Dog Publishing of South Carolina, LLC P.O. Box 837 Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina 29482 843-886-NEWS

Submit your letters to the editor to: ieneditor@luckydognews.com

DEADLINE: Nov. 22 for our Dec. 1 issue

The Island Eye News, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lucky Dog Publishing of South Carolina, LLC, is a free, independent newspaper published every two weeks and is for and about the Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Goat Island and Dewees Island. Copies are mailed free of charge to every active mailbox in our coverage area and are also available at area businesses. Contributions of information, pictures and articles are welcomed, are used according to space limitations and news value and cannot be returned except by special request. Op-ed articles and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the opionion of Lucky Dog News or its writers. All Advertising rates are listed at: islandeyenews.com under “advertising.”

Area kids

Continued from page 1

donors at local stores such as Walmart or Target and transport the bikes to the island. Following a ceremony on Dec. 18, the bikes and helmets will be loaded up and taken to North Charleston, to be delivered to youngsters on Christmas Day.

First, however, most of the bikes have to be assembled and inspected to make certain they are safe to ride. That job is being handled by Sullivan’s Island employees from several different departments.

“It’s not just me. This is a commitment from each and every police officer that works for Sullivan’s Island and a commitment from the town as well,” Meadows pointed out. “This is a team effort, not just a one-person deal. It’s fire, police and all town employees. One of the amazing things is that we got 30 bikes yesterday from a donor, and all 30 have already been assembled. Everyone lends a helping hand.”

ed. “It’s so vitally important to what we do. We’re not just making arrests and writing speeding and parking citations. We’re building relationships.”

“We’re lucky here on Sullivan’s Island that we have an outstanding relationship with the community,” he added. “The excitement I’ve seen over the past two

According to Meadows, the bicycle drive is just as important to the town as it is to the children who receive a visit from the Toys for Tots program.

“It builds community relationships that we as a Police Department find important and valuable,” he not-

years from the community – the shares on our Facebook page and the positive comments we get – prove we’re successful in building and maintaining these relationships.”

To learn more about the Sullivan’s Island bicycle drive or to donate bikes or helmets, contact Meadows at 843-834-4298.

IOP Street Festival set for Dec. 2

By Kelsey Marsh

For The Island Eye News

Head down to Front Beach on Isle of Palms and help bring in the holiday season island style.

The annual IOP Holiday Street Festival will be held on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Ocean Boulevard.

The free event will feature live music, carnival rides, local arts and crafts vendors, restaurants and even a visit from Santa Claus.

The Sullivan’s Island Elementary Chorus kicks off the event at 2 p.m., followed by Emily Curtis, while Gritty Flyright will close out the festivities. The city of Isle of Palms will officially light its 24-foot tree at approximately 5:30 p.m., and Santa Claus will stop by to visit with children from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Throughout the

event, local crafters will be on the street selling specialty handmade gifts that are great for the holiday season. In addition to the free carnival rides, there will be face painting

and much more.

For more information, visit iop.net/recreation or call the Isle of Palms Recreation Department at 843-886-8294.

GIVING TUESDAY

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. Helping our communities and neighbors often leaves us with a sense of elation, a sense of accomplishment and pride, and excitement for the future.”

-Maya Angelou

GIVING IS GOOD.

Please support the Law Enforcement Neighborhood Support (LENS) program and our community by participating in Giving Tuesday on November 28th, 2023. We have so much to be thankful for as we reflect this time of year.

Giving Tuesday, a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity, was established in 2012. LENS joined this movement with a simple idea: let's remind people that giving is good. With your support, we will spread generosity in our community. We have built a program that acts as a catalyst for mutual support and benefit of our first responders through hardship requests, special needs, event sponsorship, as well as academic and motivational awards.

Our radical generosity has and will continue to cre ate positive experiences and change the lives of real p eople.

Funds raised will go toward initiatives that benefit law enforcement and neighbors in our community.

Continued from page 1

to the IOP Exchange Club’s Child Abuse Prevention Program of Service.

Receiving funding from the race were: HALOS, My Sister’s House, Lowcountry Orphan Relief, Florence Crittenton, Darkness to Light, Carolina Youth Development Center, Child Abuse Prevention Association-Beaufort, Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, Windwood Farm and Doors to Freedom.

The Carolina Youth Development Center, based in North Charleston and Monks Corner, provides a safe residential environment. In addition, its representatives visit homes and teach parents and children about building a family, with a goal of keeping children in their homes.

The Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center has been providing services in Berkeley and Charleston counties since 1991, serving more than 34,000 children since its inception. It also trains teachers to enhance their awareness of child abuse in their classrooms.

The Child Abuse Prevention Association provides a group home for abused and neglected children, as well as programs for teaching parents parenting skills. Its representatives have visited homes 220 times this year and worked with 20 families.

Florence Crittenton of South Carolina has been providing hope, safety and opportunity for young and pregnant women since 1929. It also has a rental assistance program that currently serves nine young women for up to two years, helping with family support services to promote a stable home for children.

Doors to Freedom, which deals with human trafficking South Carolina, is the only residency program in the Palmetto State and also works with families to give support to the girls when they return home. This year, the organization is working with the juvenile incarceration system, providing support for girls to help them re-enter society. With the funds provided

by the IOP Exchange Club, Doors to Freedom will build a “therapeutic room” for girls when they are feeling stressed and a room for the staff, which needs support as well.

Darkness to Light started in Charleston 23 years ago and is now in 76 countries. Its mission is to provide adult training for “protecting a child from sexual assault” and support and to help keep kids safe. Darkness to Light has trained 2.2 million people. Because 42 million people in the United States are survivors of child abuse, prevention and support are essential. Funds from the race will be used for a new training program.

My Sister’s House has been providing residential services for 40 years for women dealing with domestic violence. It also provides clinical therapy, legal advocacy support, education and training programs and emergency housing. Funds from the race will support its 24-hour crisis line.

Lowcountry Orphan Relief, established in 2007, provides support services to Lowcountry children who have been abused, abandoned and neglected, helping them feel “valued, worthy and loved.” The organization also works with 50 Title 1 schools, providing “just-in-case closets” filled with emergency clothes, socks and shoes. The funds provided by the race will help stock these closets.

A special thanks goes to Michelle Priest, chair of the IOP Connector Run; the IOP Connector Run Board; Deb Barr, the IOP Exchange Child Abuse Prevention Program of Service chair; the cities of Isle of Palms and Mount Pleasant; and the Isle of Palms Rec Center.

Referendum

Continued from page 1

be that Council will ‘fix’ the referendum.

If we are to address this going forwar d, there is a great deal of work to do. We failed to address this as a Council in the first place, resulting in the referendum.”

“Currently, the Council’s policy is to monitor,” Campsen pointed out. “As the number of licenses issued continues to grow, I would hope there is a point at which the new Council will consider an ultimate limit. I believe it would be best achieved through modifications to our zoning code.”

Ward, on the other hand, said he hopes the issue of STR licenses is now dead, “but I’m sure it will not be.” He said the current Council “had the city in constant turmoil every month.”

“I’m sure they will bring it back up and keep things stirred up,” Ward said. “They’ve gone after some major radical changes the last two years, and it hasn’t turned out to what they wanted it to be. I think people were just tired of all the turmoil.”

Streetman, who served on the Council for four years, said the referendum was the driving force behind the election and opined that the Council was correct in voting against STR restrictions, even though approximately 30% of the island’s registered voters signed a petition supporting an ordinance that would have capped investor STR licenses.

“I think the new Council will take the issue up. I hope they recognize the will of the people. They need to address it in an unemotional, collaborative, thoughtful and logical way, and see what they can do to make sure we don’t have a situation on the island that affects our residential quality of life,” he said. “30 percent is a significant number, but it’s not 100%. We made the right call and welcomed a referendum and let the people tell us how they feel about it.”

IOP Precinct 1A

(25th Avenue to the southwest end

So why did IOP residents defeat the referendum?

“We witnessed unprecedented influence, money, misinformation and FUD – fear, uncertainty and doubt – rained upon our local election from multiple named and anonymous forprofit investors and real estate organizations, which contributed to the narrow defeat of the referendum,” Pierce said. “It was an effective, sustained deluge, met only by grassroots residents’ groups who wanted a chance to preserve the traditional balance of IOP’s resident/rental mix because their Council failed to act.”

Ward had a different opinion on the subject.

“The referendum lost because people realized it cut down on their options. If they were sick and had to go into assisted living for a couple months, they couldn’t use rental income to offset their expenses,” he said. “And a lot of people thought it was too much government intrusion in their private lives.”

“In retrospect, perhaps our efforts to offer a detailed ordinance as a starting point for consideration rather than a general cap number hurt the effort as many expressed their desire for the general cap number but had reservations about one provision or another,” Campsen said.

“The sole reason I ran is that I didn’t feel the referendum was written very well,” Carroll added. “I feared it would hurt families. It was kind of dangerous to vote on something that wasn’t clear.”

She added that regardless of the path the short-term rental discussion takes, the Council might be better off addressing another issue.

“I’d like to focus on what we can do to bring back civility and a respectful dialogue,” Carroll said. “That might be the first thing we really need to discuss. It’s important to our community and to our island. It would be nice if we could all just have respect for each other.”

IOP Election Results

IOP Precinct 1B

Is this why IOP residents voted the way they did?

Elizabeth Campsen – “I spent a lot of time knocking on doors. For the most part, I was able to have thoughtful, face-to-face discussions with people, whether they were for or against the idea of a short-term rental cap. Perhaps that, coupled with my years of service to the city on the Board of Zoning Appeals, led to my selection despite the outcome of the referendum.”

Ashley Carroll – “I like to think I won because I tried to explain to people and show them I’m an open-minded person. My stance was I was never opposed to reasonable regulations that would protect our community, and people kind of ended up thinking the same way.”

Scott Pierce – “I ran on a resident-first, transparent platform that includes many of the issues we face on the island now and going forward. As a current member of Council, my voting record supports that stance. I was also fully in favor of the STR referendum. As a community, we’re going to face many pressing challenges over the next four years, and I will continue to represent IOP residents’ interests first.”

Jimmy Ward – “I’ve been around a while, and people have an opinion of me – hopefully more good than bad. I’ve always been about serving the community. I’ve been doing positive things for a long time. I try to keep a calm demeanor and turn the volume down a bit.”

IOP Precinct 1C

A look at the past, present and future

Dear Island Neighbors,

We’ve got stuff related to past, present and future this month, so let’s start.

Back to the future

Are you aware that before the town of Sullivan’s Island was incorporated – in 1975 – two separate towns were located on the island? Moultrieville was generally west – harbor side – of where the causeway currently runs. Atlanticville was on the east side of the island. Their periods of existence were different, but Moultrieville was incorporated back in 1817. It originally was governed by an “intendant” – think mayor – and a Council – “wardens.”

Town Hall has long had bound volumes of Council meeting minutes and other records from the town of Moultrieville and later the township of Sullivan’s Island, dating back to 1895. They provide a very realistic, you-are-there view of life on the island back then. Of course, these fragile documents weren’t the sort of thing we could make available at the Poe Library.

However, we can now all access this treasure trove online. Supported by a grant from the State Historical Records Advisory Board, three volumes of minute books dated 1895-1936 have been scanned and are available online. Thanks to Clerk of Council Bridget Welch, who worked

with Lowcountry Digital Library at the College of Charleston to accomplish this. This scanned collection, along with brief descriptions, can be found at bit.ly/SIdigarchive.

I’m sure I’ll return in future columns to the fascinating insights from this collection, but for now I’ll have to settle with a tease or two:

• Per an ordinance ratified Aug. 14, 1895, if a horse, cow or other animal died on your premises, you were obligated to move the carcass outside of town limits. If you didn’t, the fine was $10 – in 1895 dollars.

award-winning Wando High School Chorus will perform some great seasonal music, followed by turning on the ever-impressive holiday lights and then … FIREWORKS. Yep, we again have them at this event, in addition to the show on Independence Day.

The music starts around 5:30 p.m., but come well before then to get a good seat and visit with neighbors.

Setting up and taking down the holiday lights each year is always an impressive feat by members of our Fire and Maintenance departments, both under the leadership of Chief Anthony Stith. Please thank those folks when you see them.

• In 1919, the township entered into an agreement with B. Buckley for “scavengering” services – i.e., garbage collection – for the entire township. He was to pick up six days a week, May through August, for the princely sum of $97.75 per month, but only twice a week the rest of the year, for $20 per month.

You’ve got to check this site out.

Holiday park lighting ceremony

Come out to Stith Park on Friday, Dec. 1, around 5 p.m. for our annual Holiday Park and Fire Station Lighting ceremony. The talented,

Finally, Chief Stith has dropped this tantalizing hint: “We may have a surprise visitor this year.”

Hmmmm ... I wonder who? Somehow I never figure this out.

Holiday precautions

Chief of Police Chris Griffin encourages us to avoid having packages left on porches and steps. If you are traveling, please ask a neighbor to pick up your packages. You might also want to ask the police to put your (Continued on page 9)

From the mayor

Continued from page 8

home on their watch list. If so, fill out the form at  bit.ly/SIHouseWatch and drop it off at Town Hall.

Fire Chief Stith reminds us to keep our Christmas trees watered, and check the lights for frayed wires or buy new ones.

Reminder: bikes for tykes drive

Our Sullivan’s Island Police Department is sponsoring its third annual Christmas bike drive, benefiting Toys for Tots to make a better Christmas for kids in need throughout the Charleston area. Please donate one, or many, new bikes to this effort. This year’s goal is 300 new bikes, either in the box or assembled. Helmets are also welcomed. Donated bikes can be dropped off at the Sullivan’s Island Police Department at Town Hall during regular office hours, or you can shop online and have the bikes shipped directly to the Police Department at 2056 Middle St.

Questions? Contact Deputy Chief Glenn Meadows, who orchestrates the effort, at Gmeadows@sullivansisland.sc.gov or 843-834-4298.

Let’s go people. Those bikes aren’t going to buy themselves.

Where do you want the town to go?

State statute requires every municipality to produce a comprehensive plan every 10 years. As stated on the town website: “The comprehensive plan communicates a community’s goals and objectives, provides a blueprint for future land use and serves as the basis for zoning, land use and historic and environmental preservation.”

You can get to our 2019 plan here: sullivansisland.sc.gov/towns-comprehensive-plans. By law, these plans must be reviewed at the five-year mark. Our Planning Commission and town staff have begun that review of our current plan. The next Commission meetings on this matter will be held on Dec. 13 and Jan. 10, both Wednesdays. To increase public participation, these meetings will be at 6 p.m. instead of the usual Planning Commission meeting time of 4 p.m. Come out to participate in this important process.

Thanksgiving thoughts

As I have previously expressed, I frequently catch myself taking the island for granted in the course of day-to-day activities and responsibilities. So I always find it healthy to remind myself of the abundant blessings we enjoy here: a wonderful small-town place with great neighbors; tremendous natural resources all around us, with an amazing array of flora and fauna; and a fascinating history that predates the founding of the country, with lots of historic resources all around us. What’s not to like?

As I reflect on life here, I am very thankful for the size of our biggest problems. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. See you around the island.

Mayor Pat O’Neil

843-670-9266

Twitter: @oneilpm1 oneilp@sullivansisland.sc.gov

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VFW hosts golf tourney

By Pamela Marsh

For The Island Eye News

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3137 on the Isle of Palms sponsored the 23rd annual Gene Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament Nov. 6 at the Patriots Point Links in Mount Pleasant.

On a crisp fall morning, golfers participated in the staggered start, beginning at 9 a.m.

Tournament Coordinator Charlie Missel stated that the proceeds will be donated to support veterans organi-

zations. Local businesses, as well as VFW comrades and Auxiliary members, participated or volunteered in the tournament. The VFW appreciates the support of the community.

One Lucky Dog

Try not to bump into this plant

By Mary Pringle

For The Island Eye News

Yucca gloriosa, also called mound lily yucca, Spanish dagger or Spanish bayonet, surprisingly is in the lily family and can grow into a tree of 5 to 10 feet tall. There are 40 species of yucca in the United States and Mexico. If you’ve ever bumped into it, you know why it has the dagger and bayonet names. The sharp, pointed leaves can break the skin and cause irritation or even allergic reactions in some people.

It grows on the coast and in the Maritime Forest, producing white, bell-shaped flowers from August to October, with small, hard, brown fruit in November and December. A native plant to the Southeastern United States, it does best in full sun and sandy, well-drained soil.

and the tough fibers to make ropes, baskets, mats and textile products. People use the flower petals on salads and fry the flowers whole as fritters.

This plant was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 and grows mostly on barrier islands from Virginia to Florida. It can handle temperatures down to 0 degrees F and severe drought. They appear in my yard on the Isle of Palms from seeds of the adult plants and never need watering. Native Americans used the flowers for food

This is the life. Rambo is my name, but throw every prior Rambo encounter from your mind. I’m refined and dialed in to the finer things of life. A regal version of Rambo: polite, kind and lover of champagne – my toy – kinda beagle; a pocket beagle to clarify. The name works because I’m so opposite. It’s perfect.

When we meet, I’ll saunter, in a regal “Rambo” manner, pop into your lap and perform my duties as ambassador of the Durrette kingdom, to cuddle – and do you have snacks? I’m not only calming you with my cuddles, but this time together allows me to read your deepest emotions. Are you friend or foe? My instincts as a beagle to read your mind, through my sniffer, are intense. My nose knows all – like a Jedi.

When I have the privilege of a walk around the neighborhood, I can smell the stories on the entire island, but, unfortunately, I take too long. I don’t really walk; I just smell. I can’t help it, so I don’t get too many walks.

From time to time, I’ll engage in a little stick or tennis ball, but, these days, it’s a few zoomies a day to stay trim, a sunbath for my soft ears and coat and more cuddles because sleep is very important for vitality. Speaking of sleep, my sister River is the best. She lets me snuggle all night.

When we meet, know the nose knows how much of a lucky dog I am.

Owner: Wyatt, Kelly and River Durrette

Dog’s name: Rambo, AKA Bubba or Bubby

Age: 10

Breed: Pocket beagle

Favorite toy: Chateau de Bark (Champagne squeaker toy)

Vet: Tidewater

Food: Nulo Freestyle for Seniors

If you have a “Lucky Dog” with a story to share, email me at LuckydogsIOP@gmail.com to set up a quick visit with you and your pup. Thank you • Katherine.

A small, white, nondescript nocturnal insect called the yucca moth has an interesting symbiotic relationship with this plant. This moth’s larvae depend on eating the seeds of the yucca to grow and survive. And the yucca plant’s flowers can only be pollinated by the yucca moth. The adult moths live only a few days but spend this time pollinating the yucca flowers. Their larvae eat some of the seeds as they grow but always leave plenty for dispersal, allowing the plant to reproduce. When people took this plant to Europe, it was unable to reproduce unless it was hand-pollinated by humans because there were no yucca moths there. These insect pollinators play a vital role.

Before what is now the front row on Ocean Boulevard was developed, there were many of these mound lily yucca plants growing there naturally. This native plant is planted in the median on parts of Highway 17 Bypass in Mount Pleasant because it is attractive and indestructible.

Island Eye • LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Thanks for the opportunity

Now that the election is over and the results have been officially confirmed and certified, I wanted to reach out and thank you for the opportunity to serve on City Council the past four years. I have been honored to represent you as best I can on island issues, and I leave the Council with no regrets for the positions I’ve taken on your behalf.

I would also like to thank the many supporters that provided encouragement to me during the campaign and actively supported me for re-election. I’m obviously disappointed I wasn’t re-elected to a second term, but I definitely respect the outcome. The voters spoke with their ballots.

To that end, I also want to congratulate the new Council that will be in place, and I assure you I will be supportive of your efforts to govern wisely for the benefit of our wonderful island and its residents.

Sincere congratulations to Elizabeth Campsen and Ashley Carroll on earning a Council seat, and the same sincere congratulations to Jimmy Ward and Scott Pierce on your re-election to the Council.

And a big thank you to Brian Duffy,

Tim Ahmuty and Kevin Popson for your willingness to step up and publicly serve the IOP community.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all the family and friends of all the candidates for their support. Campaigning can be tough and stressful for them as well.

I love the IOP, having spent almost 40 years here, and I will continue to be a strong advocate for further improvements of this beautiful slice of paradise we live on.

My pledge is to be a positive voice as a citizen resident, and I won’t hesitate to express my opinions on important island issues. However, you can count on me to be respectful of all in doing so.

Again, thank you for the honor and opportunity to serve you in our representative democracy over the past four years, and I’m looking forward to seeing you around the island at our events, public functions, the beach and the excellent restaurants that abound here on the IOP.

Respectfully,

Rusty Streetman Isle of Palms

Modernize our beach management practices

By Rom Reddy

The Isle of Palms has been blessed with some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere in this land. It is sad to see these beaches being destroyed by policies that make little sense in this day and age. The results to an untrained observer who walks from the pier to Breach Inlet are in plain sight – a destruction of the beaches, the coastline and the properties along the coastline. From never having properties in emergency conditions – defined as an asinine 20 feet from a habitable structure – we had one or two properties in emergency earlier this year, and we now have 10 out of 21 properties on that section of the beach that qualify as emergencies.

Why all this destruction? Some of the reasons are ones you have heard –so-called natural ebb and flow of the tides and the rise of ocean levels. Some reasons are not so obvious – the inlet is blocked, either due to sand migrating from other renourishments north of us or sand migrating from elsewhere. Overhead pictures of the inlet over the last three years are dramatic. It looks like an individual with an unhealthy heart three years ago to a heart having a full-fledged heart attack and being almost completely blocked today. Water has to go somewhere, and it is going onto our beaches.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is subject to the Beach Management Act, which assigns it the task of working with local municipalities to continually renourish the beaches to maintain a dry sand beach at high tide and a stable dune system. The city of Isle of Palms produced its own Beach Management Plan that mirrored these priorities. All of this was ignored for years. On some portions of the beach in question, there has been zero renourishment since 2018 and zero work done on the dune system that regularly saw water and slowly deteriorated. In April of 2023, many parts of the southern tip of IOP had no dunes whatsoever. Over the last five years, photographic evidence shows the level of the beach has dropped by more than 8 feet. What did we expect the result to be?

An old proverb that says “When in a hole, put away the shovel and stop digging.” Our Beach Management Plan does not believe in this proverb. A substantial amount of work done over the last three months is to dig more holes in the beach, move the sand up to the dune and watch it disappear again after one tide cycle – like rolling a stone uphill and letting go. The city engineer, CSE, who is a defendant in a lawsuit in Pawleys Island for erosion-related issues, is the sole voice to City Council, even though its results are abysmal.

The state of South Carolina and DHEC/Ocean & Coastal Resource Management love this strategy. Do nothing to renourish the beach, do nothing to the dunes as required by law and let the storm erode personal property. Then use your police powers to claim jurisdiction over personal property by designating it “active beach.” Is this not what our forefathers warned us against – government using regulatory police powers to take your land? The so-called proponents of property rights, Blair Hahn, Rusty Streetman and ex-Mayor Jimmy Carroll, are all for this as they play out their petty class wars.

What should we do? First understand the science better. As sea levels rise,

water depth increases, waves become deeper and waves reaching the coast cause more severe erosion. Soft structures like sand alone can no longer save our beaches. We need a multipronged approach and a broader thought process.

I am not qualified to articulate a detailed strategy, but it has to start with the dissipation of wave energy before it hits the coastline. Having waves slam into our coast the way they do now and trying to protect the beach with sand is infeasible and unsustainable. There are many technologies that act as “speed breakers” for the waves out in the ocean. When the wave energy is broken or dissipated out in the ocean, the materials carried by the current are deposited behind the speed breaker. I believe the use of soft structures such as beach renourishment and sand dunes as the next level of protection is a good idea as long as there is a plan to comply with routine renourishment – not crisis renourishment – to maintain a dry sand beach at high tide and a stable dune. The third line of protection is the dune itself. Stabilizing the toe of the dune is critical. States such as Michigan use natural materials like coir rolls to stabilize the toe. Coir rolls absorb wave energy, and natural vegetation can be planted in and around them to stabilize the dune.

Coir rolls disintegrate naturally over a five-year period. When all these levels of protection fail, homeowners should be allowed to protect their property with a retaining wall or equivalent as a last line of recourse and to disconnect property destruction from erosion damage. Isle of Palms stands alone among coastal communities that prohibits homeowners from protecting their property in any fashion on their own land. There is a lot of chest thumping about how bad a retaining wall is. In general, hard structures as a first line of protection are less preferred because the theory is that hard structures reflect wave energy, and, over a period of time, that can cause that energy to dig holes or reflect into a neighboring property. Even those issues have been mitigated with state-of-the-art structures that absorb wave energy rather than reflect it. However, in this case, a retaining wall would never come into play and never have an opportunity to cause any damage as it only comes into play briefly when the structures in front of it fail and are, hopefully, immediately restored or replaced.

It makes no sense to say that all the structures maintained by the state and municipalities fail, and the homeowner must suffer catastrophic damage and loss of property rights as a result. Property protection must be disconnected from poor beach management. Manage the beaches like the regulations require, and you will never ever see a property protection system come into play.

In summary, I urge our politicians and bureaucrats to wake up and give themselves a report card. The grade we would give you is an F. If you can accept that, then we can get rid of preconceived ideas and discuss better ways to truly protect our island’s greatest asset.

Reddy or Not represents the opinion of Lucky Dog Publishing owner Rom Reddy but not necessarily the opinion of the newspaper. In keeping with our philosophy of publishing all opinions, we welcome responses, which must be limited to 400 words and will be published on a space-available basis.

Around the Islands

ONGOING

WHAT: Sea Island Builders Toy Drive

WHERE: 2113 Middle St., Suite 100, Sullivan’s Island WHEN: Through Dec. 15

MORE INFO: To learn more: 843-883-7430.

WHAT: Wild Roll Wednesday

WHERE: IOP Recreation Center - High Tide Room

WHEN: 8:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. • Wednesdays

MORE INFO: With the Isle of Palms Recreation, Police and Fire departments. Continues through spring 2024. To learn more and register, visit IOP.net.

WHAT: Community meditation

WHERE: IOP Rec Center

WHEN: Thursdays at 9 a.m.

MORE INFO: Outdoors, under the oaks – weather permitting; indoors on colder or bad weather days. Free. To learn more: iop.net/recreation.

WHAT: Home Economics for Kids

WHERE: IOP Rec Center

WHEN: Mondays, 3 p.m.-4 p.m.

MORE INFO: A six-week program for kids in grades K through 5. Learn how to host a gathering, interact and mingle with others, set a table and comparatively shop prices to get the best deals. To learn more: IOP.net.

WHAT: GriefShare Recovery Seminar

WHERE: Church of the Holy Cross • 2520 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island WHEN: Every Tuesday, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Jan. 9 through April 9, 2024. MORE INFO: This seminar is free and all are welcome. GriefShare features nationally recognized experts on grief recovery topics. To learn more and to register, call 678-523-8783 or email caryn.woodison@gmail.com.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18

WHAT: Beach Lovers Book Club

WHERE: Edgar Allan Poe Branch Library, 1921 Ion Ave., Sullivan’s Island      WHEN: 10 a.m.

MORE INFO: Come for a lively discussion of “The Mystery of Mrs. Christie” by Marie Benedict. To learn more: ccpl.org/branches/Sullivans-island.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21

WHAT: International Games Day

WHERE: Edgar Allan Poe Branch Library, 1921 Ion Ave., Sullivan’s Island      WHEN: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

MORE INFO: Celebrate International Games Month with this game day at the library. We will have classic board games, video games and scavenger hunts all day. To learn more: ccpl.org/branches/Sullivans-island.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22

WHAT: POE-etry critique group

WHERE: Edgar Allan Poe Branch Library, 1921 Ion Ave., Sullivan’s Island      WHEN: 1 p.m. (after hours)

MORE INFO: Gather with fellow poets to share and improve your work. Bring six copies of one or two poems to share with fellow poets (limit 2-3 pages). To learn more: ccpl.org/branches/Sullivans-island.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

WHAT: NaNoWriMo Write-ins

WHERE: Edgar Allan Poe Branch Library, 1921 Ion Ave., Sullivan’s Island      WHEN: 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (after hours)

MORE INFO: National Novel Writing Month started on Nov. 1, and Poe will host “write-ins.” Light refreshments will be provided. Visit nanowrimo. org for more details and call 843-883-3914 or email poe@ccpl.org to be updated on these NaNoWriMo events.

To learn more, please get in touch with Pastor Phil Clark at 843-886-8557 or 937-475-6275. You can also reach him via email at prphilclark@gmail.com.